An image forming device that forms an inked image on a sheet is known. Such the image forming device includes a recording head having nozzles through each of which an ink droplet is selectively ejected onto the sheet. The ink droplets adhered on the sheet forms a desired image. The image forming device has a cartridge installation portion, and uses an ink cartridge storing therein an ink to be supplied into the recording head. The ink cartridge is installable in and removable from the cartridge installation portion.
When the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge loading portion since the ink in the ink cartridge runs down, the ink in the ink cartridge or an ink in an ink needle drops on an inner perimeter of the cartridge installation portion. Then a new ink cartridge is installed in the cartridge installation portion. The ink is then adhered to an outer perimeter of the new ink cartridge that is installed in the cartridge installation portion. The cartridge installation portion has a locking mechanism for positioning the ink cartridge and for retaining the ink cartridge in an installed state in the cartridge installation portion. Further, a biasing member is provided to bias the ink cartridge, which has been installed in the cartridge installation portion and engaged with the locking mechanism, in a removal direction in which the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge installation portion. For removing the ink cartridge from the cartridge installation portion, the locking mechanism is operated to release (unlock) the ink cartridge, such that the ink cartridge is moved toward an opening of the cartridge installation portion by a biasing force of the biasing member. Thus, the ink cartridge is easily removed from the cartridge installation portion.
Further, when the ink cartridge is released, the ink cartridge could move vigorously, and the ink cartridge may be thrown out of the cartridge installation portion through the opening of the cartridge installation portion. As a result, the ink cartridge is thrown away (popped up) from the cartridge installation portion and impacts on the floor, thereby imparting impact on the ink cartridge to splash the ink out of the ink cartridge. Further, when the ink cartridge impacts onto a floor, the ink cartridge may be damaged. In order to avoid such accidental pop-up, a pop-up restraint mechanism is proposed in Laid-out Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-288866.
According to the disclosed pop-up restraint (locking) mechanism, a resiliently deformable hooking pawl is provided at a cartridge installation portion, and an ink cartridge is formed with an engagement recess to be engageable with the pawl to avoid the pop-up when the ink cartridge is released from the biasing force of the biasing member.